


Noble In Heart, Noble In Mind

by Twinklette



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: A Child Forced To Grow Up Too Quick, Accents, Actual Physical Harm, Arranged Marriage, BDSM Done Wrong, Dancing, Delicious Tea, F/M, Gilneas, Grown Men Don't Cry, Heartless Humans, Human trade, I suck at tagging, Journal Entries, Just Kidding Yes They Do, Love/Hate, Masturbation, Mentions Of Physical Beatings, Noblemen, Physical Restraints, Poverty, Repressed Anger, Sibling Betrayal, Sibling Complex, deep friendships, developing feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-04 23:49:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11565951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twinklette/pseuds/Twinklette
Summary: (I suck so bad at summaries)From rags to riches, and riches to rags.Vanessra McStrayden and her family have been poor for as long as she can remember. Though she was never really unhappy, she had always hoped of having a more sustainable life for her family. One night a Lord offers to take her as his bride, and her Mother and Father accept the offer. It's then she finds out just how rich life was when she was poverty stricken.





	1. Where It All Began

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, if you're here then thanks for reading!  
> This story is told through part journal mode / part story mode.  
> Journal mode is in First Person, story mode is in Third Person.
> 
> I make no guarantees as to how often I will be able to update this, sorry! Real life and all that jazz usually gets in the way, so I'm not gonna promise updates and not deliver them. Because that's rude :)
> 
> Hopefully you enjoy, feel free to leave comments and kudos!

_I remember the night was so muggy that the very air around me clung to my skin. I wanted water, but that meant heating it to purify it and I was pretty sure I'd boil to death by the time it was safe enough to drink. I left my bed behind in hope of finding cool air outside but the door separating our humble shack from the damp Gilnean evening was blocked. My parents stood facing a fancy looking man in the dead of the night. I had seen their likes before. They would sneer at me as I begged for any piece of food that could be spared just to make it through another day. Not all of them were bad. Some chose not to hiss and spit at me, and instead gave me bread or a ripe piece of fruit out of kindness. But that kindness was few and far to be found and I'd learned to expect nothing less from the fancy snobs that paraded the city streets. What could a Noble possibly want with my family? Knowing it was wrong, my curiosity got the better of me and I hid around the corner so I could listen in._

 

_“What guarantee do we have that she'll be safe?” My mother asked, as she clutched my Father's hand. I couldn't see their faces, but it sounded like my Mother would burst into tears any second._

 

_The man on the other side of the door had a deep voice, one that was almost melodic. “Madam, I can assure you the young Lord has nothing but her best interest and safety in mind. He regrets that he can not be here himself to propose the offer, but sends his regards along with a gift.”_

 

_I stole a peek around the corner to see what I could only assume was a servant bring a large basket of assorted breads, fruit and cheese to the door step. It couldn't be..._

 

_My Father spoke, reservation in his voice. “I'm afraid I don't understand, yeah? There's nothin' that our family could possibly offer to th' House, so what's the catch?”_

 

_The man at the door smile wryly. “The young Lord has a generous heart, you see. He has seen the struggle your family has endured and he has seen you in the streets attempting to combat starvation. He offers you a way out of poverty out of pure kindness, and all he asks for in return, is her.”_

 

_He was pointing at me? Yep. Right at me. It took me a moment to realize I'd been caught, and it was already too late. My parents stared at me not with anger as I had expected, but instead fear. My gaze mirrored theirs. “Ma', Pap, what's goin' on?” Why was I being bargained with, and for what exactly? _

 

_The man at the door smiled politely before addressing my parents once more. “The Lord expects to meet you at the southern edge of the City by midday tomorrow. I do not suggest turning this offer down, Sir and Madam. House Fairview is not known for giving second chances.” With those words he departed into the night, leaving us wrapped in a blanket of tension._

 

_“Vanessra, Lassie, come sit on the floor, yeah?” My father held his hand out to me. “Yer Ma' and I need tae chat with yea.”_

 

_The pit in my stomach was enough to weigh me down in spot, but I somehow managed to convince my legs to move. The dread spread through my veins like ice as I was informed of the proposal._

 

_“The young Lord of House Fairview has... offered to make you his wife, Lassie. Your Ma' and I are going to accept the offer. You'll be in a better home, yeah? You'll never go hungry again, always have clothes that fit yea, it- it's gonna be fer th' better, yeah? Please Vaney, try to understand. We're doing this for you...” The tears in my Father's eyes refused to spill over. I knew he wouldn't cry, Charles McStrayden never cried. Not in all of my 14 years of being alive. Yet here he was struggling to keep himself composed. I fought not to wretch on the floor right then and there. So this was to be my fate? Sold off like an unwanted dog for the sake of a comfier life? Forced away from my family and everything I knew, given no choice in the matter, and it was happening the next day..._

 

_I said nothing as I picked myself up from the floor and went back to the pile of sacks with cotton thrown over top that I called a bed. I begged for sleep to come, but it never did. The heat was nothing to me now; it was the sobbing of my Mother in the next room that kept me awake. Sleep did not grace me, nor did peace of mind, but I had made a promise to myself by the time the sun rose. I had watched my family go hungry and barely make it by for as long as I could remember. I watched my Mother and Father make sacrifices they never should of had to make to put food on our table and ensure I had a life. If all I had to do was marry a stranger so that they wouldn't die of starvation, then I felt that was the least I owed them._

 

_That next morning my Mother took me down to the river and gave me a proper scrubbing. “We gotta make you as presentable as possible, love. Gotta make a good impression on the young Lord Fairview!” I didn't understand her reasoning. The Lord had already seen me as a dirty beggar, apparently, so what difference was a bath in the river and clean hair going to make? But instead I nodded and cleaned myself until my skin was nearly raw and dressed in the best dress I had. That one only had 3 holes in it..._

 

_I was allowed to bring the one possession I had: a ratty old teddy bear that was given to me when I was born. It had long lost it's stuffing, and both eyes, but I refused to get rid of it. If I was going into unknow territory, so was my bear. I said my goodbyes to the only home I'd ever known, loaded myself into the back of the small wagon we had managed to hold on to and was hauled off to be introduced to my new life._

 

_I don't remember what time I passed out along the ride, but the sun was high in the sky when I awoke. The previous night of sleeplessness still wore on me, however that was quickly pushed to the back of my mind as I saw the marvelous carriage waiting to greet us. What little time I had left with my family had been foolishly slept away... As we drew closer to the other party, I  saw that the carriage reeked of money and self-righteouness; everything that had looked down on me my entire life. The shorter the distance between us became, the stronger the urge was to run back to my shack and fall onto my potato sack bed and forget that this whole thing was about to happen. When we stopped, my Father helped me down from the back of the wagon and stood me several feet from the ornate door. I couldn't help feeling ike a prize waiting to be claimed._

 

_My heart nearly stopped when the door began to creak open. Instead of my new owner, however, the man from the evening before stepped out. “Sir, Madam, little Lady, in concordance with the recent death of the Lord Rendall, I present to you his son, Lord Darius Fairview.” That's right, Noblemen always seemed to have a peon to do the smallest things for them. Prepare food, dress them, introduce them..._

 

_The man that stepped out of the carriage seemed to hold true to his name. A tall man with dark hair, fair skin, a strong jaw; he was indeed easy on the eyes and fair to look at. He looked young... Not nearly as young as me, but still young. His broad shoulders looked like they could carry the weight of the world, and his sturdy legs would never fail him with that burden. For a moment, I thought things might not be so bad. If I am to be sold, at least I am going to a man like this._

 

_Then his eyes locked with mine, and in there, I saw nothing but the deep blackness of his soul. He had the coldest eyes I had ever seen a human cursed with, and my body frosted over with a discomfort more severe than I had ever known._

 

_“A pleasure to meet you, McStrayden family. I am more than pleased at your acceptance of my proposal. Your daughter will be in excellent care in my home, and I can assure you that you will receive everything you need to sustain your own lives from now on.” His voice could have charmed anyone if you were too dull to see the hate in his eyes. I looked up to my parents who were smiling pleasantly and I was shocked to see that this cold creature had managed to fool them. They thought I was going to paradise, I knew I was going to hell._

 

_Lord Darius held out his hand to me. “And what an honor to lay eyes on my new wife, Little Vanessra. I would love to stay and chat but alas we've much to prepare for you at your new home. I assure you this won't be the last time you get to see your family, I'd never bar you from such a thing... but if you'd be so kind as to say your goodbyes so that we may be on our way?”_

 

_The bastard made it sound like a request that I could accept, like I was choosing to say goodbye. There was no choice here, and I would soon learn that there was little choice at all when it came to Lord Darius Fairview. I turned to look at my parents who both embraced me tightly as they relished in our last moment together as a family. I held them tight, I ingrained their warm in my mind so that I would never forget how it felt to be home. I told them I loved them, and that I'd make everything okay for us. With my teddy in one hand, and Darius' icy hand in the other, I climbed into the carriage and sealed my fate. I stole one last look at my parents, and the last thing I saw before the door closed was a tear fall down my Father's cheek._

 

_Charles McStrayden was crying._

 

 

 

A soft knock at the door jarred Vanessra from her thoughts. She looked down at the page to find several tear stained spots on the parchment, not even realizing she'd been crying. Wiping her face and quickly shutting the journal, the door opened. Her hand maid, Marina, stepped through holding a piece of fabric in hand.

 

“My Lady, Lord Darius will be in the dining hall shortly and requests that you ready yourself.” She holds up the dress. “He also requests that you-”

 

“Come dressed up as the doll he has made me out to be?” Vanessra cut the woman off, her voice laced with contempt.

 

Marina's eyes hit the floor. “My Lady... The halls are full of those that love you, but they are also full of ears that relay information directly to Lord Fairview. Forgive me for saying so, Lady Vanessra, but I do not think it wise to speak so freely, even in the comfort of your room with just the two of us.” Her eyes flickered from the floor to various spots around the room suspiciously.

 

Vanessra smiled sadly at her hand maid. She had loved Marina as soon as she was hired on for her. A mousey, petite woman with blond hair and olive skin. She had grown to be her one source of stability in this hellhole she was sold into. The one voice she could always count on to bring reason to her mind on her worst of days, and someone she could trust with anything. Including much deserved insults aimed toward her Lord husband. “I'm sorry, Marina. You're right. Talk like this is best saved for tea time in the garden.” She winked at the maid and grinned, returning to her fake visage.

 

Marina smiled. “You've always been a devious one, My Lady. I have some... news that might brighten your day at our next tea time.” Tea time was a wonderful part of the day. It was the one hour that they were left alone, and truly alone together, each afternoon. It was a delicate hour that both women had grown to cherish. “Shall we ready you for dinner?”

 

Vanessra nodded and began stripping from her casual linens. She sat naked while Marina tended to her hair, for if there was a stray hair on her dinner dress, they both know the evening would turn on a sour note. Once she was in her dress, she turned and looked in the mirror. One might think she was the picture perfect wife, the soft pink of the gown accenting her plumb hair pulled into a top bun and fair skin. Marina did several check overs to ensure nothing was out of place for Lord Darius, but Vane could not look away from her own reflection. Her eyes that were once alight with life were now flat and empty. There was no spark left that her Mother used to dote over, no twinkle of the stars remaining that her Father said her eyes used to hold. She was an empty shell of a human now, though she was still a shell that did not care for beatings. So she would be an empty shell of perfection for her _loving_ husband.

 

“You are ready, My Lady. I suggest we leave soon so as not to keep Lord Fairview waiting. Sebastien has said that the Lord's mood is rather sour this evening.”

 

 _'When is it not, Marina.'_ She thought to herself, but instead nodded in agreement. “Very well then! A tardy wife is not something to please an already unhappy Lord.” She paced to the door and waited for Marina to open it for her. Stepping out into the hall, she began the walk to the dinning room and idly wondered what was on tonight's menu, smiling wryly to herself.  _'Who knew they served such delicious food in hell?'_


	2. Tea Time

_The carriage ride to the Manor was overwhelmingly silent. As many questions as I had, I was pinned into silenced by the piercing cold eyes from the seat across from me. I stayed quiet and wondered where exactly we were going, what the house would look like, how many servants this man had; endless questions flitted through my mind with no courage to bring them to light. I was going to a world completely different from what I was used to, and I truly had no idea what to expect. The carriage jolted to a stop, but his eyes still didn't move off of me. The fancy man opened the door and held his hand out for me first._

 

“ _Welcome to Fairview Manor, Little Lady.” He said, as I grabbed his hand and stepped out._

 

_The Manor was... impressive to say the least. Surrounding the perimeter of the grounds were rose bushes that were a head taller than man next to me. The floral detail to the front walkway was executed with care; everything was symmetrical and I suppose you could say it really brought life to the Manor. The structure itself was white with a dark grey trim, and there was a set of mahogany doors that would seem welcoming if it weren't for the soulless man that would be walking through them with me. All in all, it'd be wrong to say it wasn't beautiful, because it was... But being there just felt unnatural._

 

_Walking through the front door was daunting. The foyer was very open and was lined with several candelabra that filled the space with a false warmth. A rather large set of stairs was directly in front of me with a hallway to both my left and right. There was a maid that was bustling about, dusting the tables up against the walls and cleaning the stair banisters. But aside from her, and those of us that just arrived, the Manor seemed lifeless._

 

_Darius immediately walked past me, handing his coat to the man who had been at my home the evening before and disappeared down one of the hallways. I took a step to follow him but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. “Little Lady, I will show you to your room now.” The nameless servant politely smiled down at me and lead me to the stairs._

 

_The hallways upstairs were ominous. There was little light as nearly every curtain was drawn closed, and what candle light existed was spaced so far out that I nearly slipped into shadow each time I passed between the markers. We stopped in front of a door and the man escorting me opened it, letting the room slowly come into view._

 

_Too much. It was all too much. Call it culture shock of the worst kind. The fluffy bed was encased in a gaudy wooden frame with ornate details carved into it, next to it was a large dresser that had half of one side gutted and a mirror attached to the top with a stool in front. The hardwood floor was shined so perfectly I could see my own terrified reflection; a small fireplace was in the corner of the room with a throw rug in front, and next to that was a door that remained closed. The only comforting thing in the extravagant room was that everything was green. The curtains, the bedspread, the throw rug, all different shades of green and it all matched beautifully. I don't know if it was coincidence or on purpose that it was all my favorite color, but it brought a small amount of peace to me. Though the room was much more showy than was I was used to, I thought I could perhaps find comfort in this space, given time._

 

_I turned to my escort who had remained silent the entire time I was staring and opened my mouth to speak. “Mister, isn't this a bit much, yeah? I really don't need all o' this...” I looked around again with equal parts of concern and fear._

 

_He bowed. “Sebastien, Little Lady. Sebastien Carthlock, Butler to Lord Rendall Fairview, and now Lord Darius Fairview. Whether you need all this or not, this is your life now.”_

 

_I nodded shyly. “Mister Sebastien, why hasn't the Lord spoken tae me since... since...”_

 

_He smiled softly. “I believe the death of Lord Rendall has taken its toll on the young Lord. He is under a lot of pressure to fill his father's shoes quite quickly. It's a large burden to put on a young man of 16.”_

 

_That surprised me. “He's nae that much older than me…!”_

 

“ _No, Little Lady. He's just a young Lord that is stricken with grief right now. Give him some time and understand that you are new to his world as well. The young Lord is not always like this. Now, unfortunately we have missed dinner in the hall, so I will have a plate brought to your room. In the closet,” He pointed to a wardrobe I'd completely bypassed in my discomfort, “are clothes that will hopefully do you for the next few days. They belonged to the young Lord's little sister and it was all we had, so I apologize if they are ill fitting. Behind the door next to your fireplace are your washing quarters. A full bath will be drawn for you twice a week, but you are to wash yourself every day. Everything will be provided fresh for you each morning by your hand maid who will be introduced to you tomorrow. Your sleeping garments are in the vanity dresser next to your bed. Tomorrow morning a Tailor will be in to take your measurements so that you may have your own clothing. You will have the luxury of a few days to settle in, be assessed, and then your lessons will start. There is a Gala in a month's time that the young Lord will be attending, and you are expected to attend as well.”_

 

_My head was positively spinning. There was so much I needed to get used to and so little time to do so. And to top it off, I was expected to transform from a peasant to a full Lady in a single month._

 

“ _Now, if you'll excuse me, Little Lady, I have much to do before the evening is done. Your meal will be brought to you shortly.” He started for the door._

 

“ _Mister Sebastien?”_

 

_He stopped and looked at me. “Yes, Little Lady?”_

 

_I smiled at him. “Thank you.”_

 

_The man looked as if he'd never been thanked for anything in his life. His eyes were wide and he was staring at me like I was some kind of anomaly, speechless. If I had blinked, I would've missed his reaction. It only took a split second and he was back to the same smug face I was already growing used to seeing. “Of course, Little One.” And with that, he was gone._

 

_I indeed felt like an anomaly. This world was so different than the one I'd just come from. I went to the vanity dresser in search of sleep wear. I found a green nightgown that caught my eye. Surprisingly, it fit rather well. The sleeves were too short, and it hung closer to my knees than it did my ankles, but it would do. As Sebastien promise, food was brought to my room shortly after he left. It was unlike any food I had ever tasted.. Tender roasted beef, creamy potatoes, soft vegetables with just the right amount of crunch to them… It was weirdly comforting._

 

_When I'd finished my meal, I left the tray outside my door and crawled into the bed. It was huge to me. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get comfortable. I curled up into a ball in the center with my teddy and cried for my Mother and Father, cried for the home I had been taken away from, and cried over my weakness of wanting to run from a life that many beggars would gladly trade me for. That became my ritual every night for the first week in Fairview Manor._

 

 

The clock in Vanessra's room chimed 12. _'Tea time!'_ She thought excitedly as she gathered herself and headed for the hall. She was already waiting outside her room when Marina came to collect her for their hour of peace and quiet.

 

“My Lady, I apologize for my tardiness! I was speaking with Sebastien and I-”

 

“Marina, it's fine.” The Lady of the house flashed her hand maid a warm smile as she cut off the unnecessary apology. “What kind of tea are we having today?”

 

“Raspberry Lemon, My Lady.”

 

“Oh my favorite!”

 

Marina grinned. “Yes, My Lady. I figured your favorite tea to accompany a rare sunny day would be suiting.”

 

Lady Vanessra stifled a chuckled. “Marina?”

 

“Yes, My Lady?”

 

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” She grinned and linked her arm around Marina's as they made their way out to the garden.

 

Marina's eyes softened as a loving smile crossed her features. “Every day, My Lady.”

 

 

+++++++++

 

 

Tea was served at 12:15 p.m. sharp, as it always was, accompanied by a platter of fresh cheese, fruits and scones. As they settled in to the small table, Marina waited for the servants to leave. Looking around to ensure they were absolutely alone, she picked up her cup of tea and took a quick sip. Vanessra eyed her suspiciously before leaning closer, unable to wait any longer. “Alright, woman. Spill! Out with it!” She grinned, taking a sip of her own tea.

 

Marina leaned close. “Apparently, on Lord Fairview's hunt that he just returned from, one of the huntsmen 'accidentally' shot him.”

 

Vanessra almost choked on her tea. “By the gods, is that why his shoulder is wrapped?! I wondered what happened when he came to dinner last night but I didn't dare ask.”

 

“Yes, My Lady. I was unable to tell you last night but that's why the Lord was in a sour mood.”

 

She perked a brow and kept her tone hushed. “Did someone tell the Lad that he missed his target?”

 

The two women tried to cover up their laughter but were soon doubled over at the table laughing. “My Lady!”

 

“Well honestly! Who was it, I'd like to thank the man for his valiant efforts and show him how to improve his aim. It is possibly to get target dummies that look like Darius?”

 

Marina's smile faltered. “The gentleman… met an unfortunate hunting 'accident' shortly after and sadly did not make it back.”

 

Vanessra's good mood died almost instantly. “Right, of course he did. People have met 'accidents' over smaller things around Darius...” Her eyes dropped to the table. Deep down she thanked that brave soul for trying what he did. Her loving husband, however, seemed to have equal balance of luck and power. Funny how the rotten ones always seemed to get good fortune. She cleared her throat, and raised her cup of tea in a quiet toast. “To Lord Fairview's unfortunate luck, and the man who tried to do what was right.”

 

 

+++++++++

 

 

When they returned to Lady Vanessra's quarters, Sebastien was standing outside the door. She said her goodbye to Marina and approached her room. “Good afternoon, Sebastien! What can I do for you?” The tall man looked at her with an emotion in his eyes that she could not discern.

 

“Lord Fairview requires your presence in the Ballroom, Little Lady.”

 

She grinned. It seemed no matter how old she got he would never stop calling her that. “Right now?”

 

“Yes, Lady Vanessra. Right now.”

 

She nodded. “Very well. See you at dinner time, Sebastien!” Flashing a smile, she headed down the hall.

 

The Butler watched the lovely Lady leave. “I'm so sorry, my sweet Lady...” He whispered under his breath as he departed from the door to her living quarters.

 

 

+++++++++

 

 

It wasn't until she hit the stairs that something dawned on Vanessra. Her steps came to a complete halt and heat flooded through her body.

 

There were no dance lessons scheduled today.

 

Darius was nothing but timely and scheduled, and unless forced to, he never broke that schedule. Yet here he was, doing it willingly. Her mind was reeling but she knew the consequences would be worse if she didn't show herself as was asked. That would mean trouble for both her and Sebastien, something she never wanted to cause again. With resignation for what likely awaited her, she made the final stretch to the Ballroom. After a deep breath she opened the door and stepped inside.

 

The door closed shut with a sickening finality behind her. Darius stood with his back to her like a statue. He didnt need to face his wife for her to feel the contempt rolling from him in waves. “Be a doll and come closer, my dear.” He commanded, but there was a familiar edge to his tone. She knew better than to trust his sugar coated words. Still, she closed half the distance between the two of them. “A little closer, Darling.” He cooed. She shuddered and forced her feet to move, leaving her but an arm's length away from his cold shoulders. “Tell me, dear Wife. Is it truly that hilarious that I almost met my demise at the hands of a piss poor huntsman?”

 

Her breath caught in her throat. _'No… No he can't have- but how…'_ Tea time had been compromised.

 

“Answer me, Vanessra.”

 

“No, My Lord.” Her voice stayed calm, but inside the panic was setting in, gripping every vein and suffocating her.

 

“Is it so amusing to make a toast to that fool and wish my death?”

 

“No, My Lord.”

 

He slowly turned around to face his wife with hatred in his eyes like she had never seen before. The first thing she heard was the offensively loud smack. The ballroom floor came spinning up to meet her in a hurry as she collapse onto it with a forceful thud, her head colliding violently with the flat surface. Then she felt the pain. The taste of her own blood was already in her mouth, the iron taint churning her stomach. Before she could even cough out a sob she was hauled onto her knees by a fistful of her plum hair. Even if the room wasn't spinning, she wouldn't have avoided the backhand that struck her other cheek. Her hands caught her fall just barely as she cried out, a sob ripping from her chest.

 

Darius' lips curled over his teeth. Crouching down in front of her, he gripped her throat and pulled her attention to him. The blood seeping from her lip and staining her teeth was so beautiful on her, but he resisted assaulting her once more. Self control was key to ensure her wounds would heal cleanly, after all. He watched the blood trickle from her nose and licked his lips. “Do you know why I chose the Ballroom, dear?”

 

The grip on her throat was so tight she couldn't even answer. She let out a strangled sob and stared at him with fear in her eyes. Her face was beginning to turn a delicious blend of purple and red. “Because you cries echo _so beautifully_ in this room.” With as much effort he could manage with his one arm, he threw her against the floor.

 

A loud strained gasp tore from her chest as she fought to get much needed air into her lungs, but the sobs that wretched her body were fighting for control. Darius waited for her to gain control of herself, reveling in the acoustics of her struggle.

 

“You should count yourself lucky that I am not at my full strength. I'm also feeling rather _generous_ today, so I've decided not to kill that little bitch that I hired to be your maid.” He reached down and grabbed her by her hair once more. Tears and blood stained her face. “What do you say, Doll?”

 

“Th-Thank you, M-My L-L-Lord.” Her words came out in a broken, strangled mess. He smirked and let her drop to the floor, calmly walking to the door of the Ballroom.

 

“Tonight, you will come to my bed chamber after dinner.” He opened the door and slammed it shut behind him, leaving his wife alone.

 

Vanessra let herself fall to the floor as she wrapped her arms around her mid section. Anguished sobs cascaded from her lips and bounced off every wall, colliding with her own ears and forcing her to hear the truth. She told herself she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry again, and she failed. She could only imagine what was happening to Marina right now.

 

She waited until her body stilled and stopped shaking before attempting to pull herself to her feet. The room spun with nauseating speed, but it thankfully didn't last long. She slowly made her way to the door, holding her throbbing head. No amount of wine was going to fix this. She could already feel the bruises forming and her throat ached from the force of being compressed but she straightened herself up and held her head high. Darius may be able to inflict any sort of damage on her, but there was one thing he couldn't take unless she let him. She would never surrender her pride.


	3. Blood Is Thicker Than Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( Warning for implied torture of the sexual kind. Nothing explicitly detailed, but it happens. ))

_I awoke the next morning with a panic so strong I nearly passed out again. I was so tired that I didn't even remember where I was until I really looked around and recalled the events of the previous day. I crawled from the sea of a bed that was now mine and made my way to the wardrobe. Nearly everything in there was green too, just like the vanity dresser… I wasn't complaining but it was still a little bit confusing. Not long after I had gotten myself situated into a dress that sort of fit, a knock rang out from my door. I remember cracking the door open to see a plump, older woman with a stern gaze and tight lips on the other side. She arched a brow and seemed to question whether I was going to keep her standing there all day. Stepping aside, I invited her in. For such a round lady, she sure moved like there were too few hours in the day. She burst into the room holding a stool in one hand and a large wicker basket in the other. She set the stool down in the middle of the floor and stared at me expectantly. Honestly, she was rather intimidating, considering she was slightly shorter that me._

 

“ _Come, come child! I haven't got all day, you know!” She impatiently pointed to the stool, dropping the basket and pulling the cover off. As I crossed the room I saw the basket was littered with different kinds of fabrics and several pin cushions. So this was the tailor that Sebastien had told me of. I apparently wasn't moving fast enough because she came over and grabbed me by the hand, hauled me over to the stool, and made me stand on top. I don't know what it was about her, but I liked her and she made me smile. Her voice was impatient, but warm in the same breath and though her touch was strong, it was not forceful._

 

_She introduced herself as she began digging through her basket. “My name is Helen, I will be in charge of making your clothes. I expect you to make nice quick decisions as I am a very busy woman, and not that it is any fault of your own, but you have added an entire extra workload that I've very little time for!”_

 

_I grinned. Finally, someone who didn't treat me like I was a delicate piece of porcelain that would break at the slightest hint of a harsh tone. “Helen Who?” I asked, curious of her last name._

 

_She let out a small scoff. “That is of zero importance to you, young Lady! A name of no value around these parts, therefore it doesn't matter.” She began moving me like I was a puppet, telling me to hold certain positions as she took measurements. Once she was finished, she laid out her fabric samples and instructed me to pick 3 pieces that I would want to wear. I chose 2 different shades of green, one cotton and the other a very sheer fabric, and one sample of a light purple silk._

 

_Helen shook her head. “No, not that purple. Not for your skin tone, Missy!” She point at a deep, royal purple. “This. This will compliment your fair skin and accent you hair. The other purple will wash you out, and people will fault it as poor work on my end! Not having any of that, no we are not.” She gave me no choice but to accept the new color and made quick work of packing up before leaving. The whole experience was a bit of a blur, but something about her made me excited to see the work she would bring me. I couldn't help but think it would be exquisite._

 

_I had a scant few seconds before another knock at the door came. I called out for the next mystery guest to come in, and had I not been looking at the door, I would have thought they scurried away instead. The girl was timid and dainty, and even shorter than me. She had the most beautiful sea green eyes I'd seen, and slightly curly honey blonde hair that kissed her shoulders. I was pretty sure we were the same age, and that brought comfort to me. I immediately felt at ease around this newcomer, whose arms were busied with a basket of towels and fragrant soaps that I could smell from several feet away._

 

_She curtsied as well as she could and quietly said, “A good morning to you, My Lady. My name is Marina. I've been assigned as your hand maid.” She crossed the room to my washing quarters and opened the door, refusing to make eye contact as much as possible. I could have swore this girl was scared of me, the way she was acting._

 

“ _Marina?”_

 

_She looked at the floor with wide green eyes. “Yes, My Lady?”_

 

_I took a deep breath, hoping I wasn't stepping on any toes. “You… Is this all… new tae yea too?” I bit my lip and stared at her._

 

_Marina bowed her head, but managed to make eye contact with me at least. “Y-Yes, My Lady. All of it. But I will do my very best to serve you in every way I'm supposed to, and I will try not to-”_

 

_I honestly couldn't help it. I ran forward and threw my arms around her, a few tears escaping down my cheeks. “Oh thank th' Gods!” I clung to her as if she were my best friend, and though it took a few moments to recover from what I imagine was shock, I eventually felt her arms wrap around me. She didn't cry, but she was trembling, and my heart ached for both of us. I wondered what brought her to this manor, and if her life was as rudely interrupted as mine was. We slowly pulled away from each other and smiled, a silent hunch shared between us that we might have more in common with each other than we both initially thought. I couldn't wait to learn more about her._

 

_Straightening herself out, she began running through her duties. “I have been instructed to care for you in every way possible. Aid you in washing, changing, making yourself presentable for the Lord of the Manor, accompany you to your lessons and anything else you require me to do. At noon every day we are permitted a one hour tea time in the garden out back, and the only times I will not be in your presence is during meals. It is inappropriate for me to feast in a Noble's presence, so will collect you after each meal to resume our schedule for the day.”_

 

_I frowned. “But I'm nae a Noble.”_

 

_Marina smiled politely. “You are now, My Lady.”_

 

_Part of what she said was surreal and exciting. I had never thought that I would end up in a home like this, even if I didn't have my parents to share it with. As much as it hurt, I was beginning to see the sacrifice they made for me. The other part was still terrifying. This was far from what I was comfortable with. Why do I need a maid? Why can't I go get my own food? Why does one person need so many soaps? Why do they need to smell so strong? What kind of lessons was I to be taking? Why did I need them? I had so many questions that were left unanswered, but then again, it was only my first true day here._

 

_It was incredibly awkward being naked in front of a complete stranger, but Marina did indeed aid me in scrubbing myself down as she said she would. It was a more thorough cleaning than the river had provided the day before; hot water was a refreshing blessing. She tended to my hair and made it shine like the floor of my bedroom, and even tucked the sleeves of my dress into themselves to make it fit better. “This is called a three quarter sleeve, My Lady. The dress won't look so ill fitting on you for the time being until Helen makes something to your proper measurements.” I nodded and eyed myself in the mirror. She was correct, the sleeves looked much better, and though the bottom was still short for my height, I looked a little less silly than I had when Helen came in that morning._

 

_As Marina was completing a check to ensure I was up to standard, a knock came from my door. Again. I will admit, I was already slightly irritated. I just wanted some time alone to adjust, but it seems I wouldn't be provided that luxury right now. Marina opened the door and Sebastien walked in, the same smug look on his face. “Little Lady, you look splendid. I see Marina has done a wonderful job. I trust Helen already made her way to you bright and early?”_

 

_I nodded._

 

“ _Good, then I suggest we make our way to the dinning hall for breakfast. After breakfast, I will take you on a tour of the Manor to get you acquainted with its layout, and after that, it will be tea time.”_

 

_I looked at the clock in the corner of the room. I vaguely remember hearing it chime since I had awoken, but the numbers weren't numbers at all. “S-Sebastien?”_

 

“ _Yes, Little Lady?”_

 

“ _Er… What time is it, exactly?”_

 

_He smirked. “You can't read the clock, can you.” It was more of a statement than a question, and one that I was ashamed of. I had simply never learned to read a clock. I always went by the sun when I was on the streets, when I could see it, that is. My silence and embarrassment was more than enough to confirm his words. “It is half passed 8, Little One. You can expect that to be one of your first lessons. Lord Fairview runs the Manor on a very strict time schedule. Breakfast is served at 8:45 sharp, Lunch at 1:15 in the afternoon, and dinner at 5:45 in the evening. Your lessons will fall between the meals, with evenings holding the majority of your spare time. You will be provided with a daily schedule every morning laying out what is required of you, but not today. As promised you will have today and tomorrow to adjust and acquaint yourself. I am at your disposal for today, but tomorrow I must resume my regular duties. Now, lest we be late for breakfast, I suggest we got a move on. Tardiness is an unattractive quality, and one that the young Lord will not tolerate. You would do well to remember that.”_

 

_I nodded and headed for the door, Marina on my tail, and left the only bit of comfort I knew in this strange home._

 

 

 

Her writing was interrupt by a knocking at her door. “Come in.” Vanessra called out, closing the journal and tucking it back in its drawer.

 

“Little Lady, it's time.” Sebastien spoke with a rather grim tone, almost as if he regretted having to summon the Lady of the house to her fate. Vanessra sighed heavily, knowing there was no way around this. She tried to smile at Sebastien but the beating from the ballroom had begun to set in and the swelling made it rather difficult. Bruising was already creeping across her skin, painting her pretty face shades of deep blue and red. In reality, it wasn't the worst beating she had received, but that's what scared her. Darius held a very high opinion of himself. To insult his existence was usually met by a punishment of death. Yet, she only got smacked around a little, which could only mean that worse was waiting for her. As they made their way through the halls, she took note that Marina was not there to escort her. Marina was either not done with her punishment, or was currently being kept from her on purpose. Either reasoning was equally plausible with Darius…

 

As she approached the doors to Darius' chamber, she noticed a face that was all too familiar. Cornella, the resident nurse, was on standby. Not that Vanessra didn't care for Cornella, because the woman had indeed saved her from many injuries in the past, she just wasn't as nice as the previous nurse, Jillian. Sadness crept through her mind as she remember the perky young nurse that used to take care of her, but Vanessra's thoughts were halted as the door to the dark bedroom chamber opened. Sebastien and Cornella remained silent as Vanessra walked into the bedroom, the heavy door closing with finality.

 

It was dark, like she had expected it to be. What little light illuminating her torture chamber came from a single candelabrum. She found her way to the bed, but before she could do anything else, she was stopped by a voice.

 

“Stay standing.”

 

She gritted her teeth. _'I wondered how long you were going to remain hiding…'_ She stood in place like a statue and didn't even move when she felt it touch the back of her neck, though her mind filled with dread. The crop whip was perhaps her least favorite of all, so of course he would bring it out tonight. She was sure that wasn't the only tool that would make an appearance tonight, either. Determined not to give him the satisfaction, she steeled herself and prepared for the evening of hell ahead of her.

 

+++++++

 

Vanessra felt like she had been trampled by a herd of horses. Though Sebastien carried her very gently, every movement that jostled her in the slightest made her feel as if she was going to break. After a journey that felt far longer than it should have, they arrived at her bedroom. The door was open, and waiting inside was Marina. Though Marina had indeed gotten a worse beating initially, the rest of the evening took Vanessra above and beyond any injury the maid had sustained.

 

Vanessra let out a pained squeak as she was set down on the bed. Had she have been able to scream, she would have, but swelling constricted her throat to the point that simple breathing was an accomplishment on its own. She heard Marina whimper, but she didn't even have the strength to reassure the poor girl that everything would be fine. Voices around her began to blur into muddled noises, and she quickly gave into sleep with one last thought. _'One day, Darius, I swear I'll kill you. Just wait.'_

 

+++++++

 

Sebastien and Marina excused themselves into the hallway as soon as Lady Fairview had fallen asleep. Marina turned on Sebastien, absolutely furious. “What the _hell_ , Sebastien! You know this is just as wrong as I do!”

 

Sebastien gritted his teeth. “Then perhaps you should watch your mouth during tea time, no? I _told_ you that nowhere in this Manor is safe! I don't want to see either of you hurt, but you know damn well where my loyalties lie.”

 

Marina growled. “I don't _care_ about what happened to me, you idiot! You _can't_ let him keep hurting her like this! Cornella told me he almost killed her, for Light's sake! She doesn't deserve any of this, and you know it!”

 

He glared at Marina and lowered the volume of his voice. “I told you to watch your mouth. I brought you in here to save you from that bitch of a woman we share as a mother. _Nothing_ that happens here is as bad as being with her, and you know it. I suggest you find some way to keep your gossip under control, for your sake and for the sake of the bruised lump of flesh sleeping behind those doors. If you love her so much, you fucking figure it out. I have my own side to play, and I'm not about to piss Darius off.” He straightened himself up and corrected his expression, bowing slightly to Marina as he resumed his usual composure. “It would be in your best interest to get Lady Vanessra's wounds checked in the morning. A good eve to you, _Ms. Ridgewright_.”

 

Her lip quivered as her last name was thrown in her face. With anger still coursing through her body, she watched her half-brother, the only family she had left, walk away from her. Sebastien had made his decision, and he had made it very clear. Blood, as it turns out, is not thicker than water at all.


	4. Chosen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for hints of a Sibling complex.  
> Also warning for excessive use of underlined words. My bad lol.

_The Manor was indeed impressive. It was strange coming from a home that only had 2 rooms, one that we all slept in, and one that served for, well, everything else. As Sebastien promised, I received the grand tour after breakfast. I got to see the kitchen busy with bodies, preparing for lunch, the several different rooms for 'studies' of all sorts. Why there was so many rooms needed for studies, I had no idea, but I was caught by the one room we passed… I heard a smooth, low voice coming from the quarters, and the door was cracked open slightly. Curiosity got the better of me and I stopped to listen, pulling at the door to see who was inside._

 

_He was the image of perfection. Standing in the center of the room, with his left hand behind his back and his right holding a book, the Lord of the Manor stood still as a statue. It was the first time I'd gotten to really look at him… His posture was immaculate, his chest puffed proudly, and his silky black hair was tied at the base of his neck, stretching down between his shoulder blades. The suit he was wearing was fitted in all the right places, as I assumed was Helen's impeccable work. The vest resting on his broad shoulders hugged his chest and waist, defining him in ways that I did not think I was prepared to enjoy at my age. But I couldn't deny it… He was beyond handsome. The thought that this perfect human being had chose me to be his wife crossed my mind, and brought again a question I had yet to be able to answer. Why? Why a lowly beggar like myself, who came from nothing and had amounted to nothing? It didn't make sense to me._

 

_I stood and listened to him in the study, reciting what I imagined was poetry from the book, as it sounded like no story I had ever heard before. Full of fancy words and comparisons that didn't make sense to me… Yet his voice made me understand it all. There was something so captivating about the tone in which he spoke, the way the words rolled from his tongue, the emotion that he put into it. It was then I realized that whatever poem he was reading was not one of happiness, but of grief and torment. My heart ached for him… We were from different worlds, but tragedy was a language everyone could speak. I stayed until the very end, unable to move from my spot unless Sebastien was planning to drag me away. I hardly noticed the few tears that escaped down my cheeks, so moved by his performance of the piece._

 

_I'd never known such beauty could exist inwords frkm a man who was otherwise so reserved. I couldn't control my hands and started clapping. I thought it was a complimenting action, showing him that his work was so enjoyable. Behind me, I heard Sebastien suck in a breath through his teeth. Darius slowly turned, and as his eyes rested on me, I froze. I had done something wrong. Very wrong. He crossed the room at a brisk pace, staring me down for a brief moment, and then slowly closed the door in my face. I was stunned. I wanted nothing more than to know the human being that was stripped before me a few seconds ago, yet I couldn't get near the stranger I was expected to spend my life with._

 

_I looked up at Sebastien for an explanation as to what I did to upset my husband-to-be. With a hand placed on my back, he gently guided me away from the door before speaking. “Little Lady, it is best to leave Lord Fairview alone when he is working on his own studies, specifically when it comes to poetry. He is rather… sensitive about it.”_

 

“ _Bu' why? H-His voice is beautiful, an' he's got so much emotion in his words, yeah? He shouldn't be shy about et.” It was a concept I simply didn't understand._

 

“ _Poetry studies were a favored past time of Lord Darius and Lady Aydra.”_

 

“ _Lady Aydra?”_

 

“ _The Lord's sister, Little Lady. She spoke of his poetry much the same way you do, one of the many similarities between you.”_

 

_That caught my attention. “Wha'dyah mean?”_

 

_Sebastien smiled. “I will show you after our tour, as it is almost at a close.”_

 

_I stayed quiet as he lead me to the back of the Manor and through a large set of doors. I couldn't stop myself from gasping. If I thought the front of the Manor had care put into it, the back garden was no comparison. It was heavenly! So many colors and different flowers, hedges trimmed and shaped perfectly… It was like something you read about in a book, at least I imagined it was, considering I couldn't even read. In the center of the floral masterpiece, on a keyhole of dark grey stone, was a small white table suited for 4 people and no more. _

 

“ _This, Little Lady, is the Garden. It is the most proud part of the Manor, and it is where your tea will be served with Marina every afternoon.” Sebastien smirked. “Might I assume that you will enjoy yourself out here?”_

 

_I simply nodded, speechless. I almost asked if I could just live out there instead. There was something so comfy about being surrounded by nature… I felt so at home._

 

“ _We have one stop left, My Lady. If you would follow me?”_

 

_The last room Sebastien took me to rivaled the Garden as my favorite. As I stepped through the doors I was surrounded by books, all varying in size and thickness. “Woa...” Yes, that was the only reaction I could muster as I stared at the book shelves surrounding the room._

 

“ _And this is the Library, Little Lady. There are books ranging from fictional stories, to history, to books of magic. To my knowledge, the Library is at your disposal with the exception of one spot...” He lead me to the back of the room, showing me a book case that was covered so thick in dust that merely breathing next to it could leave a mark. “These were all of Lady Aydra's favorites. Everyone in the manor has been instructed not to touch them, and we all abide by that rule.”_

 

_I frowned. “Sebastien… What exactly happened tae the Lord's sister?”_

 

_Sebastien smirked. “Little Lady, let me first ask you a few questions. What is your favorite color?”_

 

“ _Green an' purple? I can't really pick between th' two, yeah?”_

 

_He nodded. “And your thoughts on the Garden?”_

 

_I giggled. “I'd live out there if I thought I would be allowed! I love flowers, an' trees, an' everythin' in nature!”_

 

_Sebastien smiled. “And your thoughts on the Manor itself?”_

 

_That question caught me. I was comfy around Sebastien, but I didn't want to be ungrateful. However, since I was being asked honestly… “Well.. It's a bit much, yeah? I-I mean, please dun get me wrong, I am happy to be here, really! Jus'… such fancy things aren't really my taste?”_

 

_An expression that I couldn't decipher crossed Sebastien's face. He beckoned for me to follow him around a set of book cases to a clearing that had two chairs, a table, and a painting on the wall above. Every muscle in my body froze. It had to be a joke, albeit a very sick one._

 

“ _That, Little Lady, is a portrait of Lord Darius and Lady Aydra, a short year before she passed away. Her favorite colors were green and purple… The Garden was a second home to her, when we could get her to stay in the Manor, that is. She often let herself out of the Manor to escape its gaudiness and take comfort in nature. She was never really a fan of the noble lifestyle. I'm sure the other similarity is… quite obvious.”_

 

_I felt like I was going to be sick. The girl in the painting was me? Not me... There were very subtle differences, but she looked very much like me. Or rather, I looked just like her. “S-Sebastien? The room I'm stayin' in… It's-”_

 

“ _Lady Aydra's old room.” He confirmed, smiling softly. “You really do look just like her. It is no surprise that Lord Darius chose you.”_

 

_I don't know what it was, but standing there was making me sick. I had to get away from that painting; I had to stop seeing her face. I ran from the Library, no idea of where I intended to go initially, but I found myself out in the Garden. I curled up in the back corner next to a rose bush and cried. The realization that I was nothing but a replacement for a dead girl was sickening for some reason. Something about it felt so wrong, and every muscle in my body was pulling at me and telling me to get away from this place._

 

_If only I would have listened._

 

 

 

Vanessra awoke wishing she hadn't. She knew it would never happen, but part of her wished that Darius would have succeeded in killing her the night before. She remembered everything, and when his hands wrapped around her throat it was blissful. She didn't fight it when the darkness flooded her vision, didn't push her lungs to strive for air, she wanted it and was willing to accept it. When unconsciousness over took her, it was so peaceful. Nothing could hurt her in that moment, not even Darius, even if he had been the one to put her in that state. In that moment, she had forgotten about her pride that she had refused to surrender for so long and simply gave in. Yet, some force in the universe needed her to carry on, for here she was, staring at a very blurry ceiling through swollen eyes.

 

Her body ached as if she had been run over by a carriage. Swallowing her own saliva was an incredible feat, but lifting her arms and legs was an accomplishment far from her grasp. She heard the door open, but was unable to look at who was entering. Thankfully it was only Marina, carrying a tray of breakfast and warm tea. Vanessra tried to survey the damage the poor woman had received, but could only catch a vague glimpse of the injuries. Marina was in fact sporting her own swollen eye and bruising across her face and neck, and two of the fingers on her left hand were splinted and bandaged together. Silent tears began to slip from the corner of both women's eyes as they stared at each other, heavily regretting what the other one had to go through the previous day.

 

“My Lady... I had Cornella come assess you this morning while you were still asleep. Both your legs and you right arm are fine. Your left arm is broken, however. The swelling in your face should go down in a few days, someone will be in to refresh your ice packs after each meal. Until you are in a more acceptable appearance, you are to stay in your room... Food will be brought to you at the regular times, but...” Marina looked down at the floor. “I am not permitted to stay with you for extended periods of time. Also, tea in the Garden has been cancelled until further notice.” A moment of silence fell over the room before a sob raked through her body. “I'm so sorry, Vanessra.”

 

Lady Fairview would have gasped if she could have. Her hand maid had _never_ used just her first name. Looking at the tray of food on her dresser, a question came into mind. “How am I supposed to eat?” She barely managed to croak out through a raw throat.

 

“I was told that... That it is none of my concern. That I am only to bring you the food and leave.” She looked back at the door. “I have already been here longer than I am supposed to be.”

 

 _'So he won't kill me, only deprive me of food to make healing harder.'_ She thought bitterly to herself. Her eyes found Marina again, and she tried her best to smile. A futile attempt, really, but it was all she had. “I'm so sorry, Marina.”

 

The blond woman covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head, but no words came to her. Trying to hide her despair, she silently left the room, leaving the wounded Lady of the Manor alone. Vanessra looked once again at the tray of food. She knew it would all be a waste. There was no way she could even lift herself into a sitting position, let alone leave the bed, and Darius would know that too. At most, she might be able to eat Dinner, maybe Lunch if she worked hard enough. She began curling her toes and working on rotating her ankles, forcing movement into her muscles and biting through the pain. _'Two can play at this game, you son of a bitch.'_


	5. What's the Catch?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Relatively shorter than the previous chapters, but necessary nonetheless.   
> Next Chapter, Lessons!  
> *throws confetti*

_I was collected from the Garden in time for Lunch, and after that I spent the rest of the day in my- no, Lady Aydra's room. Through Lunch, I refused to meet Lord Darius' eyes, nor did I speak. I barely even ate at all. I could feel his eyes on me the entire meal but I just... I couldn't bring myself to consume food that I feared would come right back up. I asked for Dinner to be served in my room, and thought I did not expect my request to be met, it actually was. I was however warned that this behavior was deemed unacceptable and would not be tolerated come the next day. Truthfully, I was angry. How could someone expect a little girl to get her bearings in such a short time? Not to mention finding out that she was a replacement for the dead sister of a cold, bitter Lord who still refused to talk to her. I thought it quite acceptable that it was all weighing on me heavily._

 

_After I was finished with my Dinner, I had made peace with calling it an early night. I just wanted to go to bed and pretend this day never happened. Instead, I was interrupted by a knock at my door. I crossed the room, ready to tell Marina or Sebastien to leave me alone, however, the face staring down at me was the last one I expected. His eyes were still dark and cold, but there was something in his face that had changed._

 

“ _Young Lady, I was informed that you refused to join me for the final meal of the evening. When I asked Sebastien, he explained that you had a rather... difficult day.” Lord Darius stared down at me, and there was even a small smile on his face. “I figured it may be beneficial for me to come see you and brief you on tomorrow's events, rather than Sebastien.”_

 

_He was talking to me? And not just talking to me... He was being pleasant? I was certain that I had fallen asleep and was simply dreaming the encounter, but his icy touch covering my hand on the door, asking for entrance, told me otherwise. I slowly opened the door and stepped aside, allowing him access to the room, but I kept the door open for no other reason than my instinct told me to. “I... Yes, m'Lord. These past two days 'ave been more than overwhelmin' fer me. Then tae find out the resemblance with... with yer...”_

 

“ _My Sister.” He said quietly, staring at me._

 

_I nodded. “I'm jus' tryin' to find the balance here, figure out how tae handle things, yeah? I had wondered why you chose me, but I never imagined that would be the reason.”_

 

_He shook his head. “No, I chose you for more reasons than the similarities you share with my Sister, but that is for me to know and you to find out when you are deserving of the knowledge.”_

 

_I simply blinked. I didn't even deserve to know why I was chosen... I was only expected to follow blindly and assimilate as quickly as possible. I had hoped that my first actual conversation with Darius would be pleasant, and I suppose for a brief moment it was. However, just as quick as they came, the pleasantries were gone. I was, once again, nothing more than a lowly piece of shit he had saved from the streets._

 

“ _Why I chose you shouldn't matter to you right now. Your sole focus should be on working as hard as possible to become the Lady I expect to have at my side. Tomorrow, your lessons will begin. I expect you to be well rested and ready to begin after Breakfast. You will learn to read, you will learn to tell time. You will learn to speak like a proper Lady and present yourself in a classy manor. Dance lessons will also begin in the evenings after Dinner, three times weekly. You will put all your effort into being ready for the Gala at the beginning of next month, so that you do not embarrass me.”_

 

_My jaw was hanging open. Truly, no compassion existed in this man. When it came down to it, I was simply a tool to make him look good and my resemblance to his former sibling was simply the cherry on top of his twisted thoughts. “H-How am I... How can I possibly learn everythin' In such a short time!?” I was terrified. Not that I particularly cared for the man in front of me, not at that moment at least, but something inside me knew that to let him down would be a grave mistake; A mistake that I wanted to avoid at all costs, considering he had taken me in._

 

_He held his hand out in front of me, asking for my own. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his, only to have it gripped tightly with little care. “That is for you to figure out, Young Lady. I have pushed aside many of my duties for the coming month to make this happen. I will be personally over seeing each of your lessons to ensure you are up to my standards, and I do not take kindly to my time being wasted. I will tell you this once, and only once... You exist in this household to stand at my side as an exceptional wife. You will reflect pride, class, and grace on me as your Husband. Really, I am not asking for much, and if you fail me, I will send you back to the gutters with your starving parents. There, you may waste away as the filthy beggar you are, wallowing in sickness and filth. The choice is yours, Vanessra. I suggest you choose wisely.” _

 

_He threw my hand down like it was a diseased piece of meat and stalked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. I remembered Sebastien telling me that Darius had not always been like this, but I was beginning to suspect that he was hiding just how long this attitude had been present. I didn't think this was a new thing for the manor, and I was willing to bet money I didn't even have that this all started when Lady Aydra passed away._

 

_Though it was not the answer I had expected, I did have an answer of sorts. I was chosen to be trained like a dog... To sit still and look pretty, and do as I was told. As long as I could do all that, I would have a life of comfort that I never had a want for in the first place. Part of it didn't sound like a bad deal... But it left me wondering:_

 

_What's the catch?_

 

 

 

Her hand ached from the short entry she had managed to scratch out. The writing looked like chicken scratch on the pages compared to her previous entries, but the fact that she was up and writing was in itself a success. It had taken her until the next morning before she was well enough to eat  and until after Dinner time that night before she was willing to write, but she had  overcome the pain .  Darius could do all he wanted to her, but she would never stop writing.

 

In a way, she was happy to be locked in her room. The treatment Darius gave her was of no secret to anyone in the house, which had left her wondering to this day just what power he held over all of them to make them stay quiet. Her pride could handle walking around the Manor with a few bruises here and there, but not this. Vanessra sat in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. The bruising around her neck was  the prettiest. It was a deep shade of purple and in a  grotesque way complimented her hair. Her face was slowly gaining ground from the swelling; she could see out of both eyes again and it didn't hurt to blink anymore. Across her body were massive welts from the whip, and even spots where it had broken skin, leaving splits that were healing into dark red scabs. 

 

Turns out, she looked just as awful as she felt. She gritted her teeth. _'Pap would be so disappointment if he saw me now...'_

 

With a tremendous effort, she brought herself across the room to her wardrobe and opened the door, revealing her dresses. Immediately she began digging for one article of clothing in particular, residing in the very back. With a small “Hrmph.” she managed to grab a hold of what she was looking for. She eyed her wedding dress with discontent, remembering the day that had sealed her fate. With a sneer plastered on her marred complexion, she crossed the room to her fireplace set ablaze with bright coals and roaring logs. “Step by step, I will escape you. I've spent far too long striving to please you, and I've realized that state of mind does not exist for you.” She said to herself before throwing the intricate piece of clothing into the fire and watching it shrivel into nothingness. “I will sever every hold you think you have on me. I am not the beaten dog you think I am...” Vanessra walked over to her bed, gingerly laying down, and watch one of the earliest ties to the bastard who was her husband burn to ashes. “I should have bitten back a long time ago.”


	6. A Dream Within A Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the poem in this chapter, is it A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe.
> 
> I also apologize for the length of the chapter, it's way longer than I intended it to be, but oh well!
> 
> Warning for discipline beatings.

_The morning came far sooner than I hoped it would. I was expected to get a sound sleep yet I stared awake at the ceiling until the sun was nearly coming up, stressing over the massive expectations weighing on my shoulders . I managed to drag myself from bed shortly before Marina was knoc k ing at my door, ready to begin my morning preparations. If there was one thing I was beginning to indulge in, it was someone there to do my hair for me every day. Ever since I can remember I've always loved it being tended to, and having Marina there brought me back to the night s when my Mother used to sing me to sleep while running her fingers across my scalp. I guess it was a home away from home feeling, and I was going to take every comfort I could._

 

_Conversation between us was... sparse, to say the least. I had nothing to talk about and Marina seemed to be in the same situation, but it was a comfortable silence that I didn't mind having. We went about the morning, minding our own business, until I was standing in front of the mirror and ready for the day. I had managed to dig out a deep purple dress from the back of the wardrobe and t his one was my favorite so far._

 

“ _It is a drop-waist A-line style, My Lady. I believe I over heard Helen talking to herself about it being the most flattering shape on you. She is a master in her line of work, from what I have heard and seen.” Marina stood back, admiring the handiwork she'd put into my appearance._

 

“ _D-Do yea think I'll please 'im? Er, tha' I look acceptable?” I asked, an innocent hope breaking through my words. It's almost funny looking back at it, remembering how eager I was to please for so long..._

 

_Marina smiled and folded her hands in front of her lap. “My Lady, I may have came from nothing but I have been trained to ensure you meet Lord Darius' expectations every day. If you do not, the fault falls on me, not you. But to answer your question, if I may be so bold, I would question his judgement if he did not find your beauty in its own unique league.”_

 

_That was the first time anyone outside of my Mother and Father had ever complimented my appearance. Not that I had ever been cleaned up enough to deserve it before, but it meant more to me than Marina realized in th at moment. I turned around, facing her directly and grinned. “You dun know it right now, but we're gonna be good friends, yeah? Like th' sister I never had. Jus' yea watch!”_

 

_The smile slowly crept across Marina's face, but eventually it settled into a grin of its own. “I never had a sister either, My Lady. Should we ever manage to grow so close, I would be very pleased.” She looked to the clock, noting its time. “It is almost time for Breakfast, My Lady. We should be going.”_

 

_I looked to the clock as well, trying to decipher the foreign language on its face before giving up entirely. “Mmm I'll jus' take yer word for it, yeah?” I headed for the door, letting myself out of the room. As soon as Marina joined me, I linked my arm with hers. The response I received was stiff, but I expected no less. She was hired to help me, not be my friend. I simply didn't understand why we couldn't achieve both._

 

_W hen we reached the dining hall, Marina passed me off to Sebastien, who had been waiting for me outside. “Little Lady, you look rather stunning in that purple. A suiting undertone to highlight your best features.”_

 

_I blinked, stunned. Perhaps this is part of what it was to be a Lady? People complimenting you needlessly and lighting your face aflame with blush using mere words? “Th-Thank yea, Sebastien...” I peered inside the Dining Hall, only to find it empty. “Am I early?”_

 

_The Butler smiled. “By a few minutes, yes, but also right on time.”_

 

_I cocked my head, confused by what he meant._

 

“ _At the up coming Gala, you will be required to eat around strangers. Judging by the last few days of meals, Lord Darius requires you to be taught to eat like a proper Lady. Each meal will be a lesson of its own, until you meet expectation.” Sebastien held his hand out to the empty Hall, ushering me inside. “Take your seat, Little Lady.”_

 

_I found what had become my regular spot at the elongated table and settled into the chair ._

 

_I didn't hear him enter, only his melodic voice ring out across the expanse of the room, filling my ears with both want and terror. “Lesson number one, slouching. It is embarrassing when a Lady can not support her own body through a meal. Your shoulders will not slump forward, your waist will not lose core strength, your shoulder blades should not even leave the back of the chair.” Darius moved into my view, his hands behind his back and his sharp gaze cutting into me. “Fix yourself.”_

 

_It took me a moment to respond, but I quickly righted myself as best I could with his instructions, taking note of everything he said. Sebastien had, at this point, removed himself from the room and left the two of us alone. Darius slowly strolled aroun d my position and granted me the luxury of seeing a long, skinny wooden object in his hands. After what seemed like forever, he finally nodded. “Good. Now stay like that.”_

 

_And so I did, until breakfast was brought in. The table was set and a delicious serving of seasoned egg and bread was placed before me. I wasn't even thinking when I immediately reached for my fork, really. I was hungry, and so I was going to eat. That was the normal thing to do, after all. Darius, however, had other plans._

 

_I barely heard it whistle through the air before the snapping sound of it hitting my hand. I dropped my fork and cried out as I felt the burning sensation of the red welt left on the top of my hand._

 

“ _I did not say you could eat, nor is that how you hold a fork properly.” Darius glared at me, the chill radiating off of him._

 

_I cradled my wounded hand in the other, a single tear sliding down my cheek as my shoulders slumped forward. “Tha' really hur- AH!” I hollered out in pain as the wooden stick lashed across my upper chest, ranging shoulder to shoulder with a sick whipping sound. It was a matter of mere seconds before heat flooded the skin on my chest, and though I couldn't see the flesh, I was sure it shared similar appearance to the abrasion on my hand ._

 

“ _Your shoulders will not slump forward.”_

 

_I couldn't believe it. I thought simply learning to change my entire life around was the stress... But oh no. I had been terribly wrong. I quickly learned that failure was my biggest fear. Fear of getting beat like a defenseless dog, fear of letting Him down and never being worthy of him, and fear of disappointing my parents and being sent back to them. I straightened myself up in the chair, chiding myself for the worrisome thoughts, and folded my hand in my lap. If I just focused all my efforts into succeeding, then everything would be fine. It didn't take long before Darius was satisfied with my resolution._

 

“ _Pick up your fork.”_

 

_I reached down and gripped my fork with a balled fist, only to be met with another harsh crack from the stick. The blood vessels burst underneath my flesh, branding more of my hand in a bright red hue. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing freely. I had pain inflicted on me before, but not like this and certainly not for such insignificant reasons. Darius approached the table and was kind enough to demonstrate the way in which I was to hold a fork. I was more than clumsy at the start, but as long as I was actually trying, I didn't get hit. _

 

_That morning we went through all the positions of simply holding cutlery. By the time we had finished and I was finally ready to eat my long past cold breakfast, Darius signaled a servant to come take it away._

 

“ _B-But I'm starvin'!” I whimpered out in protest, looking up at him with a pleading gaze._

 

_He simply stared at me blankly. “The more repercussion you face for your failures now, the more likely you are to remember your training in the future.”_

 

_He was serious... He was actually serious. Beatings and starvation to ensure I would be bred into a model wife for him. I looked down at my hands, now tainted by ugly welts and bruising, in disbelief before Sebastien up beside me. _

 

“ _Little Lady, there is time for a lesson before Lunch. Lord Darius is already making his way to the study room.”_

 

_I looked around in confusion, having not even heard him leave. I copped it off to me being engrossed in my injuries and followed Sebastien to one of the upper hallways. I recognized the room we walked into immediately as the same room I had seen Darius practicing his own poetry. The space was void of all furniture. Nowhere to sit, nothing lining the walls except a window that remained covered... It was so empty that I swear my own breathing echoed when I walked into the center of the room._

 

“ _Move one step to your left and one step forward, and then stay still.” His creamy voice hung in the air around me, the acoustics of the empty room playing on a kindness that did not truly exist within the man. I was in awe; Darius seemed to move like a ghost among the Manor, never announcing his arrival and never giving sound to his departure. I did as I was told and looked at him, and much to my dismay, he was holding the timber stick again._

 

“ _If you are to be a Lady of this House, then you must speak like one. I will not permit the half spoken, slang garbage that falls from your mouth to continue. You will learn to enunciate and finish your words in the way that they were meant to be, or you will be the laughing stock of the Gala and I will dump you back on the streets where you came from.”_

 

_It seemed Darius had no problem constantly reminding me that in reality, I had no place in the Manor. He enjoyed throwing back in my face that he had the power to dump me back in the gutters and go about his psychotic existence without me. Though it hurt, it was the shame of returning to my parents that rooted me in spot in that room, determined to succeed in any way I could._

 

_I still remember the first piece he made me read. Darius began the lesson by reading the entire poem out to me. He would then recite a line out to me, and I was to repeat it back to him with complete accuracy. Every time my 'gutter accent', as he liked to call it, slipped through, I was met with the stick across some part of my body and commanded to restart. Line by line, he was persistent in beating my accent out of me until I learned to speak like a boring, stick-up-the-ass Noblewoman. There was, however, a serene beauty in the words he made me speak._

 

_'Take this kiss upon the brow!_

_And, in parting from you now,_

_Thus much let me avow--_

_You are not wrong, who deem_

_That my days have been a dream;_

_Yet if hope has flown away_

_In a night, or in a day,_

_In a vision, or in none,_

_Is it therefore the less gone?_

_All that we see or seem_

_Is but a dream within a dream._

 

_I stand amid the roar_

_Of a surf-tormented shore,_

_And I hold within my hand_

_Grains of the golden sand--_

_How few! yet how they creep_

_Through my fingers to the deep,_

_While I weep-- while I weep!_

_Oh Gods! can I not grasp_

_Them with a tighter clasp?_

_Oh Gods! can I not save_

_One from the pitiless wave?_

_Is all that we see or seem_

_But a dream within a dream?'_

 

_I wish I could say I made it through the whole piece and pleased him, but I did not. Far from it in fact. I learned that I was eventually expected to have it memorized, and to be able to recite it with raw emotion fitting the work. Like everything that was expected of me, that was going to take time; time that I was worried I did not have. The meaning behind the piece of poetry chosen burned as a question within me, and at the end of my lesson I simply had to ask._

 

“ _Why did yea- um, you chose that piece. What does the whole thing mean?” I almost flinched when he stopped suddenly and turned to face me, hoping and praying that I would not be hit for a simple question. _

 

“ _When you are able to recite the piece as a proper Lady, and with emotion to convey the words, the you will deserve to know.” And with that I was left alone in the room, with Sebastien staring at me from across the hall. Yet again, I was not worthy of understanding my training fully._

 

_'Good things to those who wait' is what Pap used to say, and his words never left my mind that whole day. After my lesson of speech came Lunch, and unfortunately it went much of the same way the Breakfast did. My posture was better, but handling cutlery was still a foreign concept to me and it left me without yet another meal and more welts. In a way, I was lucky that I was used to running on an empty stomach for the majority of the day. Such was the charm of living life on the streets as a beggar. But being stuffed full of food for the past several days brought me a luxury that was suddenly taken away, and it left me wanting in a cruel fashion._

 

_After Lunch was my final lesson of the day, but also the longest. Sebastien lead to me the Library, and to my great dismay, sat me at the back of the room in front of the painting of Darius and Aydra. Pulling a book from a nearby shelf, he sat down adjacent to me, sparking a curiosity._

 

“ _Where is Lord Darius?” I looked around, half expecting his soundless presence to be made know any second._

 

“ _He will not be joining us, Little Lady. Your reading lesson will be taught by me, unless you miss the Lord's presence already?”_

 

_I furiously shook my head and looked around Sebastien. “Yea- You aren't goin' to... You know...”_

 

_He smirked. “Use questionable methods of discipline?”_

 

_I nodded sheepishly, relieved to hear that I wasn't the only one who found Darius' ways unorthodox._

 

_The Butler shook his head. “No, Little Lady. I was taught to read without such, therefore I do not deem it necessary. Now, if your questions are exhausted, it is time we begin.”_

 

_The lesson with Sebastien, though difficult, was the most relaxed lesson I had all day. It was also the most strenuous and left my head screaming in pain under the effort it exerted to retain the information being processed. It was, however, nice to be around Sebastien. He was neither warm nor cold, charming nor miserly... He was just simply there, and I was thrilled to have his presence next to me rather than Darius' commanding chill._

 

_Dinner came and went with no sustenance for my final meal of the day. Though my handling of the utensils was improving, my hands ached with ferocity and added a new layer of complication to the already challenging task. After the nonexistent meal, I was finally permitted to return to my room. A warm cup of tea was brought to me by Marina shortly after I returned, since my incompetence through the day negated the possibility of tea in the Garden. I reached for the tea cup but was stopped by my hand maid grasping my hands._

 

“ _My Lady! What-” I winced audibly in pain and she was quick to lessen the force of her grasp. “My apologies, My Lady, but what in the world happened to you?”_

 

_I hesitated, opting for a more vague answer. “Lessons.”_

 

_She frowned as she moved behind to untie the back of my dress and free me from its constraints. That is when I felt pain in spots I had forgot I'd even been hit. My flesh was on fire wherever the fabric slid against it, and when I looked in the mirror, I saw the disbelief in Marina's eyes along with the source of her emotion. My body was covered in contusions of varying color. Some retained their fresh, red coloring, others had moved to a purple/blue appearance... But all of it was evidence of my failure throughout the day. Veritably, my hands took the worst damage of the day, receiving essentially 3 times the punishment compared to the rest of my body. I looked away from the mirror, ashamed of my failures, and Marina quickly helped me into a loose night gown. Neither of us spoke; there was nothing to say. I drank my tea silently and Marina left, bidding me a good night._

 

_I collapsed into the bed and quickly fell into unconsciousness. Sleep thankfully did not evade me that night, and my first real day at Fairview Manor came to a close._

 

 

 

It was a week before Vanessra was allowed to roam the Manor freely again, and yet another week after that before the Lady of the House was permitted outside. Most of the evidence of the drab events from two weeks ago had healed, and what hadn't could at least be covered up by Marina's astounding efforts in the mornings. It was a particularly bleak day in the rainy Glinean country, when a knock came at her door. There stood Sebastien, the ever faithful Butler, with the same smug smirk pulling at his lips.

 

“Little Lady, Lord Darius asks that you be ready in half an hour's time for a trip into the City.”

 

Vanessra was about to spit out a snide comment about her husband commanding rather than asking, but stopped herself. If she was to get out of this, she was going to have to pretend that everything was normal around the others. Calming her mind, she nodded and grinned, replying cheerfully. “Of course, Sebastien! I'll be waiting at the front door on time, as is expected.”

 

She shut the door and her face immediately fell. There was a time when she nearly begged to be in close quarters with her Husband, to be out in public so that he was forced to portray even a false affection for her, but those times were long passed. She freshened herself up, did an inspection in the mirror to ensure she was up to standard, and headed for the entrance of her prison of a home.

 

The carriage was already waiting for her, as was Sebastien to help her inside. Vanessra sat quietly, enjoying the solitude before it was to be interrupted with seething hatred. _'A day out on the town with the charming Lord Darius... To what do I owe the pleasure...'_ She thought sarcastically to herself, interrupted as the Lord slid into the carriage. However, instead of sitting across from her as he customarily did, he planted himself to the right of his wife on the same seat.

 

Lady Fairview didn't dare look at him. I was as if the repressed hatred from all the years of being his dog was finally beginning to surface, and the effort to stop them entirely was too grand. The trip was deathly silent until they were half way to the City when Darius reached out and grabbed Vanessra's hand. Startled, she looked down at the contact, frowning.

 

“I'm so glad that you decided to join me this afternoon, Darling.” He cooed to her.

 

She glared back at him, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Don't play with me, Darius. You know very well I didn't have a choice.” She scolded herself internally for letting it slip. This was not playing things as normal at all. Then again, Darius is no fool. He must know by now that she harbors at least some hatred toward him.

 

A small smirks tugged at his consistently icy features. “You always have a choice, Doll. There are simply consequences for each choice.”

 

She bit the insides of her cheeks, fighting to remain silent.

 

“After all, you did choose to remain in the Manor with me rather than return to the streets. A comfy life versus one of starvation.”

 

She smirked, replying in a pleasant and sweet tone. “Part of me is beginning to think I should have chosen the gutters.”

 

They were coming up on the City, faint sounds of the hustle and bustle filling the air as they crossed the bridge. Darius squeezed her hand gently smiling smugly. “I'm so glad you brought that up. I have something to show you.”

 

They were once again quiet until they reached the edge of the Market. “Look out your window.” Lord Fairview commanded, and his wife lazily complied. The square was busy with merchants and beggars alike, even with the gloom hanging over head in the sky. Regular folk clamored around, bartering with those who were willing, and even a few upperclassmen sauntered around, taking part in the common pleasantries.

 

“And what exactly is it that I am supposed to be seeing?” She questioned with a bored tone, but received no response. _'Oh how I love guessing games!'_ She thought contemptuously. Her eyes scanned the square, searching for anything that might stick out as a clue to the scavenger hunt of a trip they were on.

 

Then she saw it. At the far end of the square, amidst two shops, was her Mother. Filthy, unclean, and more sickly looking than Vanessra had last seen her, Bethany McStrayden was on her knees begging for anything that could be considered food.

 

The plum haired woman gasped softly within the carriage. A frigid hand worked it's way around the back of her neck, caressing the flesh. “Ah, you see it now.”

 

She bit back the whimper the threatened to escape her. “Why is she begging for food.” The words were meant as a question, but came out as a flat statement instead. “They were promised they would never go hungry again if they gave me up.”

 

Darius rubbed at the back of her neck, musing to himself. “Mmm, my Darling. Taking on an extra mouth to feed was more than generous enough. I'm sure they enjoyed the proposal basket that Sebastien delivered the first night he came to you.”

 

Vanessra chewed on the inside of her lip, the confirmation making her sick to her stomach. “They haven't received a single thing from you, have they.”

 

Darius smiled to himself and shook his head. “No.”

 

“You're a monster.” She managed to whisper softly, fighting back tears as the grip on the back of her neck tightened to an aching pressure.

 

“Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn...” He leaned closer, lips gently brushing against the back of her ear as he began whispering. “All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream.”

 

The tears fell freely down her cheeks as Darius signaled to the coachman to begin the return trip home. Every beating, every day spent in the basement, every crack of the whip against her skin... Each day she had spent in hell had been for nothing. Her parents starved while she too wasted away from the inside out... Darius Fairview abolished everything good he could lay his hands on, and it should have been no surprise that her family would not escape his grasp.


	7. I Hope You Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for development of unhealthy love, and warning for things getting sexual on the solo side.  
> Tags have been updated.

_I awoke the next morning with a fierce ache across my skin. My sleep was restful and dreamless, yet I felt I could have slept for another day. I stayed in bed until Marina came to my room for our morning routine. It was the first day I got my full fledged bath, a nd I was so thankful . The warm water enveloping my marred skin was heavenly, and for once I didn't even mind the overly perfumed soap being used on me. Every pass of the wash cloth was like my failures from the previous day were being wiped from me and forgiven through gentle touch. I savored that feeling as Marina informed me of the schedule for the day. It was much the same as the first day, except my free time did not begin after dinner; now there was dance lessons to attend._

 

_I was worried, for I had never been the most graceful person to walk Azeroth. Far from it, in fact. I tripped on more things than I thought possible, dropped more objects for seemingly no reason outside of pure clumsiness, and ran into inanimate objects more than any Human ever should._

 

_How the hell was I going to learn to dance._

 

_As soon as my bath time was over, I had another visitor that announced them self with a knock at my bedroom door. The second Marina pulled the door open, Helen's plump, round frame burst into the room carrying a linen basket. I was delighted to see brusque woman again and grinned at her from across the room. As she laid eyes on me, Helen smirked and motion for me to join her at the foot of my bed._

 

“ _Come, come child! Be quick about it, I-”_

 

“ _Haven't got all day, yeah?” I answered for her giggling, and I eve_ n received a chuckle in response.

 

“ _Smart girl, you just might make it in this Manor.” She eyed the lashing s that were visible, but said nothing. “Now, business!” She began pulling fabric from the linen basket, fabric that I then realized were dresses, and laying them out on display. “ I f there's anything you want done differently, you will have to deal with it. I'm not remaking these but I will keep small, and I mean very small, requests in mind for when you grow out of th e m , if you do.” She snorted. “ For all I know you'll have terrible luck like me and never grow an inch past your 12th year!”_

 

_I grinned, deciding to make a little jest of my own. “Well, I am  already closing my 14th year and taller than you, so I think I'm a step ahead.” _

 

_Helen 's gaze slowly fell on me, her eyes narrowing before she burst out laughing. “Enjoy it while it lasts, Lady Bean Pole!” She poked at my side and I nearly split the inside of my cheeks when I bit them so as not to cry out. There was no way she could have known how many welts there really were, but it hurt nonetheless. “I give it two weeks of proper eating before I have to let the seams of your dresses out, hm?” She picked up the basket and headed for the door._

 

“ _Yer not going to stay an' see how they look?” I questioned, making her pause as she was about to leave._

 

“ _These old eyes see more than you think, little girl. I prefer to admire my work from afar.” And with that, she departed, leaving Marina and I alone._

 

_We looked at each other, a glint residing in her eyes that I know matched mine, before we started giggling like children eager to play dress-up. It took us a few minutes, but we finally settled on a forest green dress with lace trim for the day. Helen did not boast about her work as much as she should have... Her pieces were exquisite. The dress fit and hugged my very shape, accentuating and creating curves that didn't yet exist but soon might. When I had seen the Noblewomen walking through the City, I had always wondered how they could don something so uncomfortable for daily wear. However, I was beginning to see that wasn't always the case. I had never know comfort in clothing like this in all my 14 (actually, 15) years. _

 

_Once Marina had me fitted into my own dress, I did a twirl and tested it s mobility. I was met with a warm smile and genuine kindness in her eyes. “Helen has outdone herself, My Lady. Though the similarities between you and Lady Aydra are uncanny, you do hold a difference in personal taste from her. Your beauty shows through in the new pieces.”_

 

_I had never been more thankful for Marina's words. All this time of feeling like I was a replacement for a lost object, and finally someone made me feel like my own person again. I took the piece of pride Marina gave me that morning and held it with me as I entered the Dinning Hall for breakfast. Whatever awaited me, I could do it._

 

_So I thought._

 

_Breakfast that morning played out much in a similar way as it had the day before. Darius silently arrived, we worked first on my posture, and then breakfast was served. I stared at the warm food waiting for me, listening for my queue._

 

“ _Pick up your fork.”_

 

_Carefully, I grabbed the dinnerware and positioned it as best as I could remember. I did not succeed immediately. I was reprimanded several times before I was close to getting it right. Finally, on my third attempt, the wooden stick was brought to my hand, but this time, it simply touched my index finger._

 

“ _That goes on the under side of the fork.” The punishment tool was removed from my sight and I quickly corrected the position of my finger, awaiting approval._

 

_Darius stared at me for what seemed like forever before nodding. “Good. Remember your posture, and proceed to eat.”_

 

_I was so proud of myself, but I soon found a new challenge ahead of me. With the posture I was expected to hold, the distance from plate to my mouth was rather daunting. Had my hand not have been shaking from the whipping of the wooden stick, it wouldn't have been so bad. I made several attempts to bring the egg to my mouth, but my unsteadiness had it constantly falling back onto the plate or onto the napkin in my lap._

 

_At one point, desperation got the better of me and I failed. Sensing I was about to lose the egg once again, my torso dipped toward the table in attempt to get even one bite of food. Not only did I fail to consume the food, the stick lashed out against my shoulder blades causing me to cry out. I expected to be scolded, but instead I heard a soft metal clinking from behind me._

 

“ _Resume proper posture.”_

 

_I silently did as I was told, wincing internally when the fresh welt pressed the chair. Pale hands holding a strip of dark leather wrapped around me, resting the object between my shoulders and the top of my breasts. I heard the leather thread through metal before tightening against me. It was then I realized that I had been belted to the chair, forced to hold my posture with a restraint._

 

“ _Your shoulders will not slump forward. Your shoulder blades will not leave the chair. Learn to eat like a proper Lady, or starve.” The words were cold, but I expected nothing less at that point. Clearly nothing was going to get better until I could make it so..._

 

_I righted the fork in my hand and renewed my efforts to eat. By the time my meal was taken away, I had managed two bites of egg. Though nothing significant, it was two bites of food that I had not achieved the previous day, and I was more than elated in the small amount of progress._

 

_Sebastien lead me from the Dinning Hall to the poetry study, and I did my best to find my spot in the middle of the room immediately._

 

“ _Half a step backwards.” The cool voice rang out, his command hanging in the air. I shuffled into the proper position and waited. We continued working on the same piece as the day before. My progress on this lesson was significantly better than my dinning etiquette. Though I did not manage to escape all my punishment, I did manage to make it through the entire piece before the end of the lesson even if it was robotic and stiffly spoken. However, I realized it is much easier to recite something back to someone compared to fixing my natural speech. I began to notice my own accent and slurred words in every sentence, but noticing after the fact was not helping me. I figured I was going to have to put in extra work outside of my lessons if I was to speak the way Darius expected me to by the time of the Gala._

 

_When I took my seat for lunch, I was immediately strapped to the chair with the belt. Apparently I couldn't be trusted to make my own progress through meals so I was to be punished even before I made a mistake... My hard work in learning to handle utensils was paying off, however. Not only was I permitted to eat my Lunch earlier, I managed to get half of the meal in me with minimal punishment before it was taken away._

 

_After lunch followed my reading lesson with Sebastien again. Our time together was peaceful, well, as much as it could be when the man was teaching me to read. Though it was the most enjoyable lesson, it was also the slowest and held the most information. At the end, Sebastien told me that a book would be waiting in my room that evening. It was to be treated as a sort of homework; I was to spend my spare time in the evenings piecing through the book as best as I could to further our lessons. Though this was the one bit of knowledge not required of me before the Gala, the sooner I could read at a moderate level, the sooner I could transition into writing._

 

_Dinner was, surprisingly, not a miserable affair for me. I was so pleased with my work through the day that what few details I did manage to botch, meant hardly anything to me. Though I remained strapped to the chair, I was able to consume a full meal... A meal that almost regurgitated itself onto the floor when Sebastien reminded me of the dance lesson awaiting me._

 

“ _Who will be teachin' me to dance?” I asked Sebastien as we made our way toward the Ballroom._

 

“ _I believe you mean to ask who will be teaching the pair of you, Little Lady. As for the man in question, a most elegant friend of the Fairview family. He will no doubt make his own introduction.”_

 

_I almost missed his correction to my question, but his words finally registered in my mind. “Th-The pair of us? You mean I have tae dance with him?”_

 

_Sebastien smirked, seeming to grow even more smug. “Yes, Little Lady, you and Lord Darius will be dancing together.”_

 

_I remember wishing I could have passed out right then and there, but my body betrayed me and continued alongside the Butler. By the time we reached the Ballroom, I was shaking in my dress. Surly, my clumsiness would earn me the worst punishment of all through this lesson..._

 

_As the doors opened, I saw both a familiar face and an unfamiliar face. In the center of the room Darius stood talking to an elderly man with a cane; the man was so frail I would have thought him bed ridden had he not been standing in front of me._

 

“ _Ahh, this must be the lovely woman you have chosen to take as your own, correct?” The brittle man approached, questioning Darius with a gravely and raspy voice._

 

_Darius nodded, a polite smile plastered on his features for a change. “Yes, she is.” He moved to my side and very gently grabbed me by my elbow. “Vanessra, you have the pleasure of meeting Per-”_

 

“ _Percy Hardneth, my Lady. Recently retired Lord of House Hardneth, and now, your dance instructor.” He cut off Darius, taking the liberty of introducing himself instead. Sticking out a hand, he offered me a small smile. “Lady Vanessra, was it?”_

 

_I nodded and gently took his hand. “Y-Yes, Sir. Vanessra McStrayden. It's a pleasure t-to meet you.”_

 

_Percy smiled warmly at me, pecking the top of my hand with a gentle kiss. “The pleasure is all mine, Young Lady.”_

 

_I giggled. “We'll see if you feel th' same after you see me dance.” My eyes widened. Percy emitted an air of ease and comfort; an air that I quickly fell into and let slip from my mind just who was standing to my left. I stiffened and braced for either verbal or physical punishment, but instead I was met with a hearty laughed, laced with a slight wheeze._

 

“ _You have chosen well, Darius. She is a lively woman filled with humor and spirit. Treat her well, Son.” Percy smirked at Darius, and my husband-to-be simply stood there, frozen in spot with a charming smile glued to his lips._

 

“ _Of course, Percy. As a proper Lady should be treated.” He finally replied, dipping his head in acknowledgement._

 

_Two things struck me odd in that moment... The first was that I received no punishment for what would have been considered backtalk or speaking out of place. Darius made no move to reprimand me, he didn't even breath a word about my joke with Percy. The second, was that Percy called Darius 'Son' and the power it seemed to have over him. Knowing that Lord Rendall had passed, made me wonder just what sort of relationship the two of them had._

 

_While I was lost in thought, Percy had moved a fair distance away and stood facing us. Clearing his throat to capture our attention fully, I could see there was a small frown tainting his brow._

 

“ _We will begin with a Waltz. You will learn the timing and steps apart from each other first, and once you can move through the steps fluidly on your own, you will relearn the dance with each other. You will learn to move in conjunction with the other, trust each others movements, feel each other in an intimate way.” Percy's eyes rested on me and he grinned. “Yes, Young Lady, dancing is an intimate affair.”_

 

_I could feel that my face was beat red, but it wasn't as simple as Percy thought it was. I was expected to trust, know, and be intimate with the man standing next to me. The man who, for the past two days, had punished me through restraint and physical assault. The man who promised to whip me into a proper Lady... I feared what awaited my clumsiness._

 

_Percy didn't wait for a reply and began ordering both of us into a starting position. He demonstrated the moves, explaining carefully which foot would lead at the start and the progression of the steps. He started very slowly, rapping his cane against the floor to keep time for the movements. At first I was conscious of Darius on the other side of the room, but I quickly lost myself in my movements, feeling the rhythm in my body. The tempo slowly increased and before I knew it I was twirling around the Ballroom, lost in my own little world. I did not notice the two pairs of eyes on me; I only knew my movements, hearing music in my mind that carried me gracefully through the dance. All my years of clumsiness melted away... It was like dancing was more natural to me than walking or running. I found a fluidity that I never knew I had and I embraced it to its fullest._

 

_I don't know when Percy stopped keeping time, but eventually I realized that I couldn't hear anything outside of my own breathing. I stopped rather suddenly, almost teetering over and saw that both Darius and Percy were staring at me. One with wonder and satisfaction, and the other with a mild shock and edginess in his youthful features. Embarrassed, I simply folded my hands in front of my lap and hung my head. “I-I'm sorry, I jus' got a little um... carried away I suppose.”_

 

_Darius' expression did not change, but it was Percy who spoke up instead. “You, my dear, will make quite the spectacle on the dance floor. With my guidance and a trusting partner, you will be talk of the evening at the upcoming Gala. Now, since we've all returned to reality, I want the two of you to pair up and we will start from the beginning.”_

 

_That is when panic began to set in. All the calm and peacefulness I had acquired through the lesson suddenly hit the floor as dead weight. Darius stood in front of me and Percy arranged our upper limbs in the proper position. I must have looked ridiculous at the start; I was more than terrified of being close to Darius and stood as far away from him as I could. Percy started laughing and placed his hands on my hips, forcing me closer to the cold Master of the Manor._

 

“ _Intimacy, Vanessra, cannot be achieved if you are afraid to be close to your partner.”_

 

_I wound up pressed against Darius from hips to ribs while anxiety riddled breaths wracked their way through my chest. His hands remained cold as ever, but the rest of him was warm. It was a shockingly hard contrast to everything else I knew about him, and I wasn't sure I could trust the comfort he was emitting. _

 

_Percy wasn't joking when he said we would be starting the lesson over again. He began the exact same way, walking us through the moves step by step. I found myself stuttering through my movements and worrying about the placement of my feet, scared stiff that I would take the wrong step and trip, or worse, step on Darius. After several minutes of extremely slow timing knocked out by the cane, Percy signaled for us to stop._

 

_Sighing, he walked over to us with a frown. “Tell me... How does one go from losing herself in the dance to being terrified of it?” As I looked to him to answer, I realized the question was not meant for me, but was instead being aimed at Darius. “How does such gracefulness disappear and be replaced by fear?”_

 

_Then I saw a sight that I never thought I would see. Darius cast his eyes down to the floor. It finally clicked for me in that moment that, whatever relationship those two shared, Percy was the one person who stood over Darius' authority._

 

_Darius bowed slightly to Percy, responding in elegant, sugar-coated words. “I believe that... through my grief I have not been the most welcoming to my bride-to-be. It is possible that being close to me in such an intimate way is causing fear and discomfort.” _

 

“ _Is that correct, my dear?” Percy questioned me with soft eyes._

 

_I looked at Darius who was now staring at me again. I was scared to admit the truth, but he gave me a slight nod and granted me permission to do so, the barest hint of a warning in his eyes. Though I was just a girl, I was certainly not a stupid girl. I would not admit to the punishments, but I could tell as much truth as I knew wouldn't earn me a beating. “Y-Yes, Mister Hardneth. This is th' closest I've been to Lord Darius, and... I fear failin' him the most. It's no fault of his, it's an insecurity of mine. He was gracious enough t-to take me in, an' I fear I will not be a proper Lady for him.”_

 

_Darius' eye bore into my body. When our eyes locked, I saw something I did not recognize at first. Relief. He feared I would tell Percy what had transpired, that I would rat out his true intentions, but I knew better than that. I knew it would get me nowhere in the Manor. It was not survival of the strongest, nor the fittest here... It was survival of those who could adapt. And I was determined to survive._

 

_Percy sighed softly, and part of me wanted to believe even to this day, that he understood what was going on behind the scenes. “I believe I am finding myself a tad parched. When I return, I expect you two to be on more comfortable terms. I am not a man that enjoys being disappointed in life, especially when I have so little of it left.” He chuckled bitterly and left us alone in the Ballroom._

 

_Darius made no move to break our stance, but simply started at me. I internally winced at the silence, and like a fool, broke it with groveling. “P-Please don't hit me... What I said was true. I do fear failure. An' I am tryin' so hard through this lesson, I'm jus'-”_

 

“ _Relax.” He cut me off, gazing at me with indifference. “Disciplining you in this lesson will do me no good. You can not dance if you do not have the strength to stand.”_

 

“ _And Percy would have your head if yea did it in front of him, yeah?” I had meant it as an innocent question, but the grip tightening on my hand and waist told me that I misjudged the situation._

 

“ _Smart girl...” He leaned in closer, his lips nearly brushing mine. “Just because I can not punish you in front of Percy does not mean you can escape it after he is gone. I suggest you remember your place.”_

 

_I gulped audibly. “Y-Yes, My Lord.”_

 

_His grip returned to normal as his fingers gently kneaded at my hip. “Now, as I said, relax. This is a lesson that we are both learning, and I do not expect you to be perfect at it when I myself am not. If you can trust that there will be punishment with failure, then you need to trust when I say this is the one room you are safe in. So long as you are trying.”_

 

_I nodded, letting out a breath that I had no idea I was holding in. The rest of my body, however, betrayed me and remained stiff._

 

“ _Vanessra.” He leaned his head next to mine and allowed his lips to gently brush my ear. “Trust that I will not let you fail me, and relax.” In an instant he bit into my ear lobe, not with malicious intent, but hard enough that it elicited equal amount of pain and pleasure through my body. I collapsed forward into him and he held me tight, the darkness in his eyes holding truth in his words._

 

_Percy chose excellent timing to return, saying nothing to us as he resumed his position across the room. After a brief moment of silence, his cane began knocking out the beat against the floor. This time, I held my gaze with Darius, seeing only him, and trusted our bodies to move together. I did not fight him for lead, I trusted the words he spoke to me and felt his movements, let them guide me. _

 

_I could feel heat flooding through my veins. The room around us blurred as the tempo picked up to a normal pace, and I felt the change. Darius' grip shifted ever so slightly to hold me closer, his own movements growing with confidence. I could describe it in no other way outside of us just being compatible. Our bodies pressing together fit in a perfect way; his strong hands spun me in various directions but his eyes held me grounded and did not allowed me to get dizzy. My body let go of all resistance, and at that moment, I understood why Percy said dancing was so intimate. I felt the energy between us, our lungs pumping air in and out in tandem with each other..._

 

_When we finally tired ourselves out, we found that Percy was no longer in the room. We hadn't heard the rhythm stop, the sound of the doors closing, nothing. We had been in our own little world._

 

_I don't know how long we simply stood there afterwards, our breathing heavy and eyes locked on each other. I felt something I never thought I would feel for the man in front of me thanks to the silent dancing... Warmth spread through my body as I remained pressed against him, and in his eyes was a glint of primal lust. Pure, unadulterated want sparked by the intimacy of our movements. As we stood there, I became aware not only of the hardness pressing against my abdomen, but the flood of heat and wetness between my own thighs. If there was one thing that we shared a common ground on, we found it in our love for dancing. All the tension held between us found an outlet in the movements and what attraction did exist became amplified. It was the one lesson in which I found trust and comfort in the Monster who owned me._

 

_When I returned to my room that evening, I laid in bed as my body was still aflame with lust. It was a completely new sensation for me, but the more I thought of our dance the larger the urge to explore myself became. My hand slowly drifted between my legs, delving into the slickness between my folds. I gasped out as my fingers found the sensitive bundle of nerves, toying with the electric warmth that flooded my body the more I touched myself. My back arched off the bed as my eyes drifted closed, thoughts filled with our dance from that evening... The way his body felt against mine, the way in which he held me, those piercing eyes that I normally feared yet lost myself in so suddenly... My breathing quickened as languid moans fell from my lips, my core tightening with a fieriness that begged to be let free. I plummeted over the edge with a fierce cry ripping from my lips, my body convulsing as the release tore through me. However sick it may seem, I had developed a love for the Master of the House. I wanted to please him, to make him happy, anything to have more moments like we did in the Ballroom. I fell asleep that night with a renewed determination on my mind to gain his trust and earn my place at his side, having completely forgotten that it was my birthday._

 

 

 

Vanessra sat at her bedroom window, staring out at the clouds that threatened to drench the Gilnean country side. When she arrived home from her trip to the city the day before she was informed of the guests they would be having at the Manor for dinner the next day. In all the years she had been at the Manor, her parents were invited over but a scant few times. The last time had been nearly two years ago, and Vanessra found a few stray tears snaking down her cheeks at the thought of seeing them again. It had been different when she thought they were being taken care of properly, but now knowing the reality of the situation, she grew sick to her stomach. How could she look her parents in the face knowing they had been starving all these years?

 

Part of her wondered what the occasion was, yet a small piece of her no longer cared. Why bother understanding when she was already formulating a plan to get out of that life? Marina came into her room as the carriage pulled up to the front of the Manor, the two McStrayden family members stepping out. A hand on her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts, and Marina smiled softly.

 

“It's time to get ready for Dinner, My Lady.” She nodded to the bed where a silver gown lay strewn across the foot of the bed frame. “Lord Darius has requested that you attend tonight's dinner in the gown that he has chosen.”

 

“Of course he has.” Vanessra said plainly, her eyes vacant of much emotion. She went through the preparations on autopilot, allowing Marina to do her business and move her body around as if she were a doll being played with.

 

When all was said and done, Vanessra was still impressed. The gown was loose fitting from the ribs down, yet hugged the curves of her breasts and accentuated her neck line. He plum hair fell down between her shoulder blades in an intricately woven braid, held closed with a delicate silver clasp. As always, Marina had made her stunning. The pair sat in an awkward silence before a knock at the door interrupted the tension.

 

“Little Lady.” Sebastien smiled and bowed as the door was opened for him. “It is time we made our way to dinner.”

 

With hands clasped in front of her hips, Vanessra quietly followed the Butler down the hall. As they made their way to the main stairs the Lady of the House had corrected her demeanor and let a pleasant, albeit fake, smile paint her lips.

 

All her anxiety was forgotten as she laid eyes on her parents at the bottom of the stairs, currently entertained in a conversation with Lord Darius. Her mother was the first to notice her presence.

 

“Oh my baby girl!” Bethany rushed forward and pulled her daughter into a hug as soon as she landed on the main floor.

 

“Ma'... I'm so happy to see you!” Vanessra couldn't stop a single tear from escaping as her Mother's warmth enveloped her.

 

“Vaney, Lassie...” Charles stood behind his wife, smiling. As Bethany relinquished her hold, Vanessra flung herself into her Father's arms and sniffled.

 

“Pap!” They held each other in silence for a few moments before parting. “I've missed you both so much. I'm so happy you could make it this evening.”

 

Her parents smiled at each other before turning their attention back to their daughter. “O' course, love. There's no way we could pass up your birthday dinner!” Her father said proudly.

 

Lady Fairview blinked. “B-Birthday...?”

 

Darius chuckled, producing a long box. “Darling, don't tell me you've forgotten your own birthday?” He slowly opened the box, revealing a silver chain decorated with several tear drop shaped amethyst gems. “For the most beautiful wife that exists, I give you this gift. A thank you for making me the _happiest_ man in Gilneas, and for not only meeting, but exceeding every expectation I ever had for you. Happy birthday, Doll.”

 

The acid in her stomach roiled with hatred. Sincere words to those who knew no better, yet sugar coated lies to her ears. Darius always did know how to put on a show, but she knew how to play along... Especially for the sake of her parents. She forced a loving smile and moved forward to gently kiss her husband. “No words can express my thanks, darling Husband.” She turned around for him to put it on, as she knew would be expected of her. It _was_ a stunning piece of jewelry and it complimented her outfit and features perfectly.

 

Darius adjusted the gift to sit evenly against his wife's neck. “Now, shall we make our way to the Hall? Dinner will be served shortly.”

 

Vanessra could almost see her parents salivating at the mention of food. She bit the inside of her cheeks and simply nodded in agreement, her heart aching for her progenitors that followed close behind. She silently vowed to herself, that she would save them however she could once she was out of the Manor. Perhaps they could run away together, escape Gilneas entirely... Vanessra wasn't entirely sure, but she knew what had to be done.


End file.
